[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 188 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 188

   Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of 
                    Israel, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 2, 2023

 Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Schumer, Mr. McConnell, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Romney, Mr. Coons, Mr. Young, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. 
 Merkley, Mr. Rubio, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs. 
    Shaheen, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Braun, Mr. Booker, Mr. 
 Barrasso, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Hagerty, Mr. 
 Graham, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Scott of Florida, and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of 
                    Israel, and for other purposes.

Whereas May 14, 2023, marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the 
        State of Israel;
Whereas May 11, 2023, marks the 74th anniversary of Israel's membership in the 
        United Nations;
Whereas, on September 21, 1922, President Warren G. Harding signed House Joint 
        Resolution 322, after unanimous support from the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, endorsing the Balfour Declaration 
        establishing a national home for the Jewish people;
Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of 
        the sovereign and independent State of Israel;
Whereas, on May 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman, on behalf of the United 
        States, was the first foreign leader to recognize the Jewish government 
        of the State of Israel;
Whereas the establishment of the State of Israel realized the right of the 
        Jewish people to self-determination and is an outgrowth of the existence 
        of the historic and ancestral kingdom of Israel established in the land 
        of Israel 3,000 years ago with Jerusalem as its capital;
Whereas the establishment of the modern State of Israel as a homeland for the 
        Jews followed the slaughter of more than 6,000,000 Jews during the 
        Holocaust;
Whereas the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, proclaimed 
        on May 14, 1948, states, in part, ``THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for 
        Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster 
        the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; 
        it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the 
        prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and 
        political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race 
        or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, 
        education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all 
        religions; and it will be faithful to the principles of the Charter of 
        the United Nations.'';
Whereas, to preserve these values and the institutions of Israeli democracy, 
        Israel has enacted and amended the Basic Laws of Israel, which provide 
        the foundation of Israel's democratic system;
Whereas Israel is home to a vibrant Arab community, comprising an estimated 20 
        percent of Israel's population and possessing equal rights under Israeli 
        law;
Whereas the people of Israel have established a pluralistic democratic political 
        system, including freedom of speech, a free press, free, fair, and open 
        elections, the rule of law, and other democratic principles and 
        practices;
Whereas Israel--

    (1) offers invaluable contributions to the international community, 
including humanitarian aid, entrepreneurship, cybersecurity, military 
weaponry, counterterrorism, airport security, agriculture, water 
management, arid-zone farming, medical advances, natural gas, and other 
technologies; and

    (2) will promote a positive vision for emerging technologies that is 
anchored by democratic values;

Whereas robust bilateral ties with Israel--

    (1) contribute to the security interests of the United States;

    (2) produce security, economic, and cultural benefits in the region;

    (3) increase regional integration and stability; and

    (4) build confidence with respect to peace negotiations;

Whereas Israel--

    (1) maintains diplomatic relations with 166 of the 193 member states of 
the United Nations; and

    (2) retains 80 resident embassies, 21 consulates general, and 7 special 
missions globally;

Whereas Israel maintains free trade agreements with the United States, members 
        of the European Union, members of the European Free Trade Association, 
        Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and other 
        nation states;
Whereas, in 1987, the United States Government designated Israel as a major non-
        NATO ally;
Whereas, in 2014, the United States Government designated Israel as a major 
        strategic partner;
Whereas, on March 26, 1979, the Arab Republic of Egypt signed a peace treaty 
        with Israel, becoming the first Arab country to establish full, 
        normalized, diplomatic relations with the State of Israel;
Whereas, on October 26, 1994, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed a peace 
        treaty with Israel, becoming the second Arab country to normalize ties 
        with Israel;
Whereas security coordination between the State of Israel and the Palestinian 
        National Authority promotes stability and is critical to deescalating 
        tensions;
Whereas the United States has actively supported and played a significant role 
        in the efforts to bring about Israeli-Palestinian peace, consistent with 
        the long-standing United States commitment to a sustainable, viable, 
        two-state solution negotiated directly between the parties, resulting in 
        an end to the conflict and two states for two peoples based on mutual 
        recognition, dignity, and peaceful neighborly relations;
Whereas, on September 15, 2020, the United States, the State of Israel, the 
        United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Abraham 
        Accords, consisting of agreements to establish full relations between 
        Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and the Kingdom 
        of Bahrain;
Whereas the landmark Abraham Accords were quickly followed by agreements to 
        normalize relations between Israel and Sudan on October 23, 2020, and 
        between Israel and Morocco on December 10, 2020;
Whereas Congress underscored in the Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2022 
        (division Z of Public Law 117-103) that the Abraham Accords, and related 
        agreements and frameworks, ``have the potential to fundamentally 
        transform the security, diplomatic, and economic environment in the 
        Middle East and North Africa and advance vital United States national 
        security interests'';
Whereas the United States continues to build upon the foundations and success of 
        the Abraham Accords by urging further normalization with Israel and by 
        deepening regional integration and cooperation, including between Israel 
        and Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates, most 
        recently, through holding the Negev Summit on March 27 and 28, 2022, in 
        Sde Boker, Israel, and the establishment of the Negev Forum on June 27, 
        2022, in Manama, Bahrain;
Whereas, on June 27, 2022, the Negev Forum Steering Committee announced the 
        establishment of--

    (1) 6 working groups that foster the integration of clean energy, food 
and water security, education and coexistence, health, regional security, 
and tourism; and

    (2) ``initiatives that strengthen the Palestinian economy and improve 
the quality of life of Palestinians'';

Whereas the joint security cooperation between the United States and Israel in 
        many fields, including intelligence sharing, air defense technology, 
        joint comprehensive military exercises, and cybersecurity, has proven 
        invaluable in strengthening the national security of the United States 
        and Israel;
Whereas Israel faces growing threats to its security, including--

    (1) Iran's advancing nuclear program and support for global terrorism;

    (2) terrorist threats from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and 
Hizballah; and

    (3) other terrorist threats;

Whereas the United States and Israel have signed three 10-year bilateral 
        security cooperation and assistance memoranda of understanding in which 
        the United States committed to provide Israel with security assistance 
        valued at--

    (1) $26,700,000,000 during the 10-year period ending on September 30, 
2008;

    (2) $30,000,000,000 during the 10-year period ending on September 30, 
2018; and

    (3) $38,000,000,000 during the 10-year period ending on September 30, 
2028;

Whereas Congress has appropriated amounts in accordance with such memoranda of 
        understanding, reflecting the two countries' shared priorities in the 
        region and the strength of United States support for maintaining 
        Israel's qualitative military edge;
Whereas Congress passed the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act 
        of 2020 (title VIII of division K of Public Law 116-260), which supports 
        economic development and peacebuilding efforts between Israelis and 
        Palestinians;
Whereas antisemitism continues to rise globally, reaching an alarming all-time 
        high during 2021 with 2,717 incidents in the United States and an 
        estimated 1,090,000,000 people worldwide harboring antisemitic 
        attitudes, making self-determination and a safe haven for the Jewish 
        people even more necessary;
Whereas Israel has absorbed millions of Jews from countries throughout the world 
        and fully integrated them into Israeli society;
Whereas the United States and Israel have maintained a special relationship for 
        75 years based on mutually shared democratic values, common strategic 
        interests, and moral bonds of friendship and mutual respect between 
        their countries and people;
Whereas Israel's involvement as an active member of the community of nations 
        benefits Israel, the United States, and all governments that share 
        common values and promote democratic stability throughout the world; and
Whereas the United States will continue to advocate for equitable treatment of 
        Israel in international fora in the face of antisemitic bias: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes the historic significance of, and joins the 
        Israeli people in their celebration of, the 75th anniversary of 
        the founding of the State of Israel;
            (2) reaffirms--
                    (A) the longstanding and indelible partnership 
                between the United States and Israel;
                    (B) the unshakeable commitment of the United States 
                to the security of the State of Israel; and
                    (C) the right of Israel to exist in peace, 
                prosperity, and security alongside its neighbors;
            (3) reiterates its support for a comprehensive and lasting 
        peace between Israelis and Palestinians, in which both enjoy 
        peace, security, and prosperity;
            (4) encourages the diplomatic recognition of the State of 
        Israel and robust engagement with Israel from all governments 
        around the world;
            (5) reiterates its support for the Abraham Accords, the 
        Negev Forum, and all other ongoing efforts to formalize and 
        strengthen relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors in 
        pursuit of a more integrated and peaceful region;
            (6) reaffirms its continuing support for Israel as a Jewish 
        and democratic state that is committed--
                    (A) to defending the security, freedom and equality 
                of all its inhabitants, regardless of religion, race, 
                or sex; and
                    (B) to guaranteeing freedom of religion, 
                conscience, language, education, and culture;
            (7) reaffirms that the United States will continue to fight 
        against antisemitism globally and against the efforts to 
        delegitimize Israel in international fora;
            (8) commends the people of Israel for their remarkable 
        achievements in building a pluralistic democratic society in 
        the Middle East; and
            (9) extends the warmest congratulations and best wishes to 
        the State of Israel and her people for a peaceful, prosperous, 
        and successful future.
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